DPOST(1) RISC/os Reference Manual DPOST(1)
NAME
dpost - troff postprocessor for PostScript printers
SYNOPSIS
dpost [options] [files]
DESCRIPTION
dpost translates files created by troff(1) into PostScript
and writes the results on the standard output. If no files
are specified, or if - is one of the input files, the stan-
dard input is read. The following options are understood:
Print num copies of each page. By default only
one copy is printed.
\ num Sets the text encoding level to num. The recog-
nized choices are 0, 1, and 2. The size of the
output file and print time should decrease as num
increases. Level 2 encoding will typically be
about 20 percent faster than level 0, which is the
default and produces output essentially identical
to previous versions of dpost.
m num Magnify each logical page by the factor num.
Pages are scaled uniformly about the origin, which
is located near the upper left corner of each
page. The default magnification is 1.0.
n num Print num logical pages on each piece of paper,
where num can be any positive integer. By
default, num is set to 1.
o list Print those pages for which numbers are given in
the comma-separated list. The list contains sin-
gle numbers N and ranges N1-N2. A missing N1
means the lowest numbered page, a missing N2 means
the highest.
p mode Print files in either portrait or landscape mode.
Only the first character of mode is significant.
The default mode is portrait.
w num Set the line width used to implement troff graph-
ics commands to num points, where a point is
approximately 1/72 of an inch. By default, num is
set to 0.3 points.
x num Translate the origin num inches along the positive
x axis. The default coordinate system has the
origin fixed near the upper left corner of the
page, with positive x to the right and positive y
down the page. Positive num moves everything
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right. The default offset is 0 inches.
y num Translate the origin num inches along the positive
y axis. Positive num moves text up the page. The
default offset is 0.
F dir Use dir as the font directory. The default dir is
/usr/lib/font, and dpost reads binary font files
from directory /usr/lib/font/devpost.
H dir Use dir as the host resident font directory.
Files in this directory should be complete
PostScript font descriptions, and must be assigned
a name that corresponds to the appropriate two-
character troff font name. Each font file is
copied to the output file only when needed and at
most once during each job. There is no default
directory.
L file Use file as the PostScript prologue which, by
default, is /usr/lib/postscript/dpost.ps.
O Disables PostScript picture inclusion. A recom-
mended option when dpost is run by a spooler in a
networked environment.
T name Use font files for device name as the best
description of available PostScript fonts. By
default, name is set to post and dpost reads
binary files from /usr/lib/font/devpost.
The files should be prepared by troff. The default font
files in /usr/lib/font/devpost produce the best and most
efficient output. They assume a resolution of 720 dpi, and
can be used to format files by adding the Tpost option to
the troff call. Older versions of the eqn and pic prepro-
cessors need to know the resolution that troff will be using
to format the files. If those are the versions installed on
your system, use the -r720 option with eqn and -T720 with
pic.
dpost makes no assumptions about resolutions. The first x
res command sets the resolution used to translate the input
files, the DESC.out file, usually
/usr/lib/font/devpost/DESC.out, defines the resolution used
in the binary font files, and the PostScript prologue is
responsible for setting up an appropriate user coordinate
system.
EXAMPLES
If the old versions of eqn and pic are installed on your
system, you can obtain the best possible looking output by
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DPOST(1) RISC/os Reference Manual DPOST(1)
issuing a command line such as the following:
pic -T720 file | tbl | eqn -r720 | troff -mm -Tpost |
dpost
Otherwise,
pic file | tbl | eqn | troff -mm -Tpost | dpost
should give the best results.
NOTES
Output files often do not conform to Adobe's file structur-
ing conventions. Piping the output of dpost through pos-
treverse should produce a minimally conforming PostScript
file.
Although dpost can handle files formatted for any device,
emulation is expensive and can easily double the print time
and the size of the output file. No attempt has been made
to implement the character sets or fonts available on all
devices supported by troff. Missing characters will be
replaced by white space, and unrecognized fonts will usually
default to one of the Times fonts (that is, R, I, B, or BI).
An x res command must precede the first x init command, and
all the input files should have been prepared for the same
output device.
Use of the T option is not encouraged. Its only purpose is
to enable the use of other PostScript font and device
description files, that perhaps use different resolutions,
character sets, or fonts.
Although level 0 encoding is the only scheme that has been
thoroughly tested, level 2 is fast and may be worth a try.
DIAGNOSTICS
An exit status of 0 is returned if files have been
translated successfully, while 2 often indicates a syntax
error in the input files.
FILES
/usr/lib/font/devpost/*.out
/usr/lib/font/devpost/charlib/*
/usr/lib/postscript/dpost.ps
/usr/lib/postscript/color.ps
/usr/lib/postscript/draw.ps
/usr/lib/postscript/forms.ps
/usr/lib/postscript/ps.requests
/usr/lib/macros/pictures
/usr/lib/macros/color
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DPOST(1) RISC/os Reference Manual DPOST(1)
SEE ALSO
download(1), postdaisy(1), postdmd(1), postio(1), postmd(1),
postprint(1), postreverse(1), posttek(1), troff(1)
devpost(5), troff(5).
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